BARCELONA: coach Ernesto Valverde has dismissed reports suggesting Neymar could leave Paris Saint-Germain and return to the Catalan giant as “fantasy.”
In the same week that PSG crashed out of the Champions League, and only seven months after he joined the club for a world record €222 million ($264 million), Neymar´s future has grown uncertain.
Spanish sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo claims the Brazilian, recovering from surgery on a broken foot in Brazil, has made contact with Barca to ask how he can engineer a return.
The article adds Neymar has explained he made a mistake in leaving the club, was wrong to want independence from Lionel Messi and has been disappointed by the standard of opposition in Ligue 1.
Asked about the reports on Friday, Valverde said: “It seems to me a fantasy and we do not know where it came from or where it will end.
“It is a fantasy and we are not going to speak about rumors when we know it would not end here.”
Barca, however, is not the only club Neymar is reportedly targeting as a potential way out of PSG.
Madrid-based newspaper AS reports Neymar´s father has met with Real Madrid, who are ready to pay 400million euros to sign the striker.
Real coach Zinedine Zidane said on Friday: “Neymar could play in all the clubs because he is very good, like many players.
“I´m not going to talk about a player that is not mine. On the 400 million, they paid 220 million and when they bought me they paid 72.
“It seemed crazy to me and 10 years later they are paying 220 million. It may well be that in the next 10 years someone will pay 400m, or sooner, I do not know.”
Mundo Deportivo concedes Neymar´s courting of Barcelona may even be a tactic to justify a move to Real, given the Catalan club are likely to reject any chance to re-sign the 26-year-old.
Barcelona are still embroiled in a financial dispute over a bonus due to Neymar last summer, which the club canceled when they believe it became clear he was moving to PSG.
Neymar missed PSG’s last 16 loss to Real on Tuesday after undergoing surgery on a broken foot in Brazil last week.
Barcelona coach dismisses talk of Neymar returning to Camp Nou as ‘fantasy’
Barcelona coach dismisses talk of Neymar returning to Camp Nou as ‘fantasy’
Pitbull confirmed as headline act for Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Saturday concert
- The Grammy Award-winning global superstar will perform on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit Main Stage on April 18
JEDDAH: Pitbull has been confirmed as the headline act for the post-qualifying concert at this year’s Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, organizers announced on Sunday.
The Grammy Award-winning global superstar will perform on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit Main Stage on April 18, as part of the three-day race weekend running from April 17–19.
Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, is one of the most commercially successful artists of his generation, with billions of streams worldwide and numerous gold and platinum certifications.
The American artist remains a major touring draw, having completed sold-out arena runs across Europe and Australia in 2025. In January, he announced his “I AM Back Tour” in the US following a series of sold-out shows globally.
Pitbull’s appearance adds to a star-studded entertainment lineup for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend. Shakira and Kygo have already been confirmed as headliners for the post-race concert on Sunday, April 19.
Promoted by the Saudi Motorsport Co., the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has become one of F1’s standout events since joining the calendar, with the Jeddah Corniche Circuit holding the distinction of being the fastest street circuit in the championship.
The night race is staged along the Red Sea coastline and combines high-speed racing with large-scale live entertainment.
